About

The Race

Remember last year? It was a great morning, but very cold. The cold did in fact keep a few people away, but there were still nearly 5000 finishers. A great turnout given the 32 degree weather. Find out who finished and how well they ran on the results page.

We are working hard for something special again in 2014. It is not your ordinary competitive event. While there is no doubt there will be fast runners and a lot of hard competition, it is also a day for families and friends to come together. The Tallahassee community has responded to this event in a very special way to create a truly unique atmosphere. Thanksgiving Day is a day that brings us all together, gives us time to reflect on the positive things in our lives and motivates us to share just a little bit extra with the community we call home. It is a great day for a race.

It is a community thing…

We hope you will be part of this year’s race; it is your chance to be part of something special. Here’s how you can do it.

Where should I park?

When you invite 7,000 plus members of your family home for the holidays, it is hard to get them all parked on the front lawn. So yes, on Thanksgiving Morning there will be a few traffic challenges. However, if you are smart and “in the know,” you can avoid a lot of the issues. First, study the map above and notice where the designated parking areas are. The most common way for runners to arrive is to approach SouthWood from the North or West on Capital Circle and then turn left onto Merchants Row and park in Lot 1. Unless you are early, you will probably have to wait in line. So, study the map and look for alternatives. For example, continue past Merchants Row and turn on Shumard Oak. You can access parking Lot 1 from this direction too. Or you can follow the guides and park in Lot 2. The fastest way to get parked though is to head straight for Lot 3. It is large and accessible from Tram Road and Capital Circle. And please, be kind to the volunteers, mostly from the Northside Kiwanis Club, helping to park cars. They are there for only one reason, to make the event run smooth for you!

Where can I pick up my race packets?

Participants may pick up packets at the Music Fest on Nov. 23 at Cascades Park, 11:00 – 4:00 p.m., or at Capital City Runners Store Nov. 24-25 (10:00-7:00) and Nov. 26 (10:00-6:00) at 1817 Thomasville Road. Early registration and packet pick up is strongly encouraged to assure you get a Turkey Trot t-shirt.

Other Information

The courses are USATF certified thanks to the good work of Bill McGuire. The races will begin on Esplanade Way between Merchants Row and Shumard Oaks Boulevard. Two years ago we modified the course to better accommodate the large crowds. All races except the 1 mile race start together and finish at the same point. However, the 5K will split from the 10K and 15K just before the 2 mile mark. The 10K and 15K will split on Grove Park Drive, with the 10K proceeding clockwise around the lake and the 15K going clockwise to Hemingway Boulevard. This change was made in an effort to reduce the congestion on the course.

This year the race will again use a timing chip, including a timing mat at the starting line. This will enable us to record your net time and allow you to relax some about where you line up. The chip is on the back of your race bib number, so please leave it there and pin your number to the FRONT of your shirt or shorts. Do not fold your number. Our goal is to be able to score the race quickly and accurately. If you are running the 10K or the 15K races you also must cross the extra mats for those races to be scored in them.

We ask that runners line up at the start based on estimated pace. Please look for the corral that corresponds to your estimated pace per mile. The first corral will be for runners who plan to run 6:30 minutes per mile or faster. The second corral will be reserved for runners who can maintain a faster pace than 8:00 per mile. If you will help us with this, the whole event will run smoother. Strollers are discouraged, but if you do enter with one, please start near the back of the crowd so as to avoid problems.

PLEASE NO ANIMALS . The crowds are just too big. You owe it to your fellow runners to make the course safe for everyone. Runners approaching the finish line with a dog (other than a service dog) will not be allowed to finish the race. We also encourage runners to leave their head phones at home for the race. You will enjoy the experience more! We won’t stop you from wearing headsets, but you are a danger to your fellow runners when you wear them while running in big crowds.